When do you start the flowering countdown ?

[morugawelder]

See some chatter where some peeps start the true flower countdown from first sign of pistils .
Then I see where some start from flip , So question is this ,, What is the most accurate in your opinions ?

Thanks

 

[xtsho]

I don't start any countdown. I put them in 12/12 and harvest when ready.

 

[morugawelder]

Usually do that also , but I have a few strains ( indica ) that the hairs are red as cab be but big portion of tricks are clear ,
and by the breeders account , they claim 7 to 8 weeks were headed to end of week 8 from flip .

 

[xtsho]

Usually do that also , but I have a few strains ( indica ) that the hairs are red as cab be but big portion of tricks are clear ,
and by the breeders account , they claim 7 to 8 weeks were headed to end of week 8 from flip .

Breeders times are usually less than reality. They're a starting point but even then many times you'll end up with pheno's that go much longer. Especially with much of the strains out there that are not really bred but are just F1 crosses. It's a crap shoot with what you'll get.

 

[morugawelder]

yeah , I was thinking so , I have a fruity pebbles x alien dog cherry , isn't quite getting the colors as advertised ,( hairs as red as can get ) but she's still showing a lot of clear yet .
My Turkish Cookies is same lots of clear but all her hairs are red as can be . I chatted with Dr. Gruber about the length on this strain since he did a grow journal on it and he said from the ones he was taking from the mother of it their running around 50 days .
And my Slurricane #7 I expect a little longer .

 

[PJ Diaz]

I count from flip because it's the only objective approach. I don't count because I believe breeders, I count because I know my strains, and I need to plan for the next cycle.

 

[gwheels]

Just keep in mind its ready when its ready and that the breeder gives an idea of time frame. The plant tells you when its ready to your liking (appearance, aroma, trichs etc.).
Some 8 week strains go over 10 etc. It is what it is.
From flip.

 

[Lucky Luke]

Breeders count from flip so you should to.

 

[morugawelder]

Breeders count from flip so you should to.

Thing is if I would of done that my Turkish cookies and fruity pebbles x alien dog cherry , weren't ready according to Trich. theory , still clear that was 10 days ago

 

[Merlin1147]

Breeders count from flip so you should to.

Actually when I put the question to 7 breeders it came back a 4 :3 split.
Barney, RQS, Lineage Genetics and Expert replied that their listed indoor flower times are from switch to 12/12
Ace, Serious and Nirvana replied that their listed indoor flower times are from first appearance of pistils.
When another grower asked Ace again, their answer flipped to the flip. See what I did there? Lol. He also reconfirmed that Nirvana seeds is from first pistils.
They all couched their answers with, “times may vary based on, blah blah blah, the relativity of time”.

 

[morugawelder]

My Slurricane #7 , Turkish Cookies , last 2 are Fruity Pebbles x Alien Dog Cherry ,
Hairs all red , no New ones now , but lots of clear trichs , Last 2 are Fruity Pebbles x Alien dog cherry , got colas tied over to ripen inside , leaves on all still nice and green with exception of a couple ,

 

[Hempire828]

I got 3 different strains going now.. all flipped at the same time..and regardless of age, gave each the 2 week pre-flower stage...so my plants are either 6 or 8 weeks depending on how you look at it... at this point I have 2 with 45-50% red/orange hairs & the 3rd beginning to change some but still mostly white, sticking straight up.. I would say I’m 6 weeks... I will begin to scope them as I see more hairs darken and recede..so I count 2 weeks after flip..

 

[Richard Drysift]

I've yet to see a plant finish indoors with rock hard nuggets in under 9 weeks. This is how long it takes at minimum for mj flowers to mature on planet Earth. Oh sure you could pick the bud at or before 9 weeks in bloom but it's always better to wait a full 10-11 weeks or even longer to ripen the entire plant top to bottom. Even then there will be some lower/inside buds that are kinda loose; better suited for hash/edibles than for smoke.
It is tricky to accurately estimate an exact day or even week to harvest from the flip unless you are intimately familiar with your strains. Always allow for transition by noting when pistils begin to form after flip. Day one is the first day you see white pistils emerge, IMO.
Estimating 10 weeks (or 70 days) out from there will give you about the earliest possible harvest window. The problem with estimating a date to chop before the plants are fully developed is it kind of mentally reinforces that date as the day you chop. Nothing is worse than picking too early but you will be disappointed when the plants are not ready on the day you want them to be. A good rule of thumb is if it looks like it's done give it another week or two.

 

[morugawelder]

I've yet to see a plant finish indoors with rock hard nuggets in under 9 weeks. This is how long it takes at minimum for mj flowers to mature on planet Earth. Oh sure you could pick the bud at or before 9 weeks in bloom but it's always better to wait a full 10-11 weeks or even longer to ripen the entire plant top to bottom. Even then there will be some lower/inside buds that are kinda loose; better suited for hash/edibles than for smoke.
It is tricky to accurately estimate an exact day or even week to harvest from the flip unless you are intimately familiar with your strains. Always allow for transition by noting when pistils begin to form after flip. Day one is the first day you see white pistils emerge, IMO.
Estimating 10 weeks (or 70 days) out from there will give you about the earliest possible harvest window. The problem with estimating a date to chop before the plants are fully developed is it kind of mentally reinforces that date as the day you chop. Nothing is worse than picking too early but you will be disappointed when the plants are not ready on the day you want them to be. A good rule of thumb is if it looks like it's done give it another week or two.

I won't argue with that , Logic tells me when I flip the plant has to take some time to transition into flower mode week or so , I agree from there should the days be counted .
I was just checking my Turkish Cookies under the scope , I am now seeing good amount of amber , cloudy and still lots of clear , Hairs are nice and dark red , I believe she's getting to a perfect window . : )

 

[Lucky Luke]

Actually when I put the question to 7 breeders it came back a 4 :3 split.
Barney, RQS, Lineage Genetics and Expert replied that their listed indoor flower times are from switch to 12/12
Ace, Serious and Nirvana replied that their listed indoor flower times are from first appearance of pistils.
When another grower asked Ace again, their answer flipped to the flip. See what I did there? Lol. He also reconfirmed that Nirvana seeds is from first pistils.
They all couched their answers with, “times may vary based on, blah blah blah, the relativity of time”.

Ive posted email and text replies from both Mr Nice seeds (if Neville went by flip then everyone should...) and Kevin Jodrey in another thread asking the same question...if you want to post ur replies then please do so. Shantibaba even went so far as to state that they of no breeder who goes by flower and Kevin was confused as to what part of the flowering stage would then be classed as day 1 flower.

 

[Lucky Luke]

Thing is if I would of done that my Turkish cookies and fruity pebbles x alien dog cherry , weren't ready according to Trich. theory , still clear that was 10 days ago

im not saying urs will be ready....

 

[Lucky Luke]

Mr Nice Seedbank - Scott Blakey <[email protected]>
To:


25 Aug at 9:03 pm


Hi

flowering is calculated from the day of 12 12...not first sign of flowering as this is different for all hybrids. No one i know uses the visual signs as onset of flowering as we all know it is btn 10 days and 2 weeks for this to occur at 12 12. All the best Sb




And From Kevin Jodrey.

"I use 12/12 as when do we actually know the period has begun? Elongation, first sign of pistols... People use what they want I use when I flip to when I cut. Outdoor I use when I see extension to finish as it varies a bit year to year Indoor never varies if we repeat the process the same way"



Question answered by the legends not some dodgy pollen chucker like Barneys or a nobody on the internet. Your welcome.

 

[Hempire828]

To a degree i guess everyone is right, do what works for you..check and chop according to what you like.
The first thing people advised me was to know and understand what the plant will look like in the end..What a ripened bud looks like...In actuality the indoor plant won't flower till you flip....then comes the process..

 

[Roger A. Shrubber]

i ignore breeder estimates..i don't have the same set up they have, so their estimates are meaningless to me.
i got a scope i can see trichs clearly on, and that is the only timer i use. i don't even start checking till they're obviously getting close, with brown kinked up pistils and swollen calyxes...then i start looking every few days till i see the majority is getting milky and i have very few clears left. i personally don't like a shit ton of ambers, but i do like to see a few.